Pieces of my heart

zuchinni bread {&} tomatoes

This is the first summer in years that Dennis has been home full time.  We have been a family of gypsies for so long it has been a challenge to get used to being together again.  With that in mind we have each tried to find something to help make life more fun and to prepare for the long summer.

I decided to get about 25 loaves of zucchini bread baked and put away.  That was a full day in the kitchen with enough zuchinni to make 50 loaves!

I really did enjoy myself.  I felt like I had accomplished something and I did it while keeping the kitchen clean at the smae time.  I was truly a miracle on Lincoln Street!

Dennis was give a topsy turvy tomato planter for his birthday on the 4th of July.  We went to Walmart and bought a tomato plant and soil and he planted it that very day.  Now it is the end of August and he has 10 {count 'em 10} tomatoes.  They are all green and most are less than an inch across but there are 10!  He has told me that if we are lucky and the frost doesn't come until February there will be enough for a jar of salsa!

This is how we cope.  We find something that makes us smile like zucchini bread and tomatoes and then we go on.

always,

michele

 

1 {good} shot!

Last Monday {july 6th} was the first and only time we have all been in Twin Falls at the same time and able to take a family photo in several years.  We had just 30 minutes before we were to leave for the funeral of our bonus mom and grandma.  We met at our co-grandparents home and very quickly took about a dozen pictures.  Huge THANKS to Christy Williams my bonus daughter for her photo skills and unselfishness on such a busy morning.  Unbelievably we needed the last one to get a good shot and although I think I personally looked better in some of the others this was the best.  I thought I would share my beautiful family and the journey to one good shot!

 

random disaray

 

conducting the shoot

 

lost liam

 

lost emery

 

lost aiden

 

lost tim, laila and liam...colin is sinking

 

lost jessie and liam

 

lost dennis

 

lost everyone

 

I think we got it!

 

This is our beautiful family and after Dennis has done his magic on the finished print (this is just my crude attempt at a little photoshop magic) it will hang over the fireplace in our living room.  May I say how much I love my family.  They are my reason for everything.  They give my life meaning.  This is my {heArt}

always,

michele

eye of the {be}holder

I have been giving some thought to the difference between looking and seeing recently.  I watched a favorite movie called "The Ideal Husband" and I was struck by one line in particular.  This movie is taken from a stage play written by the great wordsmith Oscar Wilde and is a particular favorite of mine.  Mable {a lovely and witty young woman of marriagable age} says to Lord Goering - {a confirmed bachelor in whom she is interested},

"To look at a thing is quite different from seeing a thing, and one does not see anything until one sees its beauty."

Recently Lisa and I with our friend Sherry went to Portland to participate in a workshop with an amazingly talented artist, Lisa Kaus.  It was a wonderful weekend and I learned so much.  I am also head over tool kit in love with the dollie I made. I have been teased a bit by some very sweet and funny friends because she is not what they would consider traditionally beautiful but to my eyes she is stunningly so. 

So my question to the three of you who follow this little blog is this...  What do you see?  Not look at, see!  I took pictures of the things that stood out to me in the shops we went to in Portland.  These are the things I see and amaze me.  I am a terrible shopper.  I would rather take home pictures than purchase most things but I did manage to buy a few little odds and ends.  Here are the bits of our trip that excited me, made me take notice and set my imagination on a flight of fancy!

So now that I have shared the pictures of the things I find beautiful in one shop or another you may have a better idea of why I find my little Marie Antionette doll beautiful.  She like all these other things offer me a flight of fancy to places I have not gone, things I have not seen and lessons I have not yet learned.  They are all full of possibilities and memories and more.  Who could not love little Marie when her face conjures up memories of Lisa laughing, smiling and creating her own little whimsey.  Who could not adore a doll who was named so because her head fell off and she traveled all the way to Twin Falls without a head attached.  Who could not love film cannisters when one imagines all the images captured on that film or key when one imagines what they unlocked. 

Isn't life wonderful.  Don't we have the greatest adventure still to come!

always,

michele and marie

{fondly}

 

I remember the first time I ever walked in the door of World Class Scrappers.  I had never scrapped.  Lisa, Vicki and Samantha took me to Boise to a card class and while on our way we stopped at this cute little house that was filled with the most amazing treasures.  I bought a few things - not as much as I would later but I remember most of all the way the place felt.  It was November so the warmth was welcome but it was more than physical warmth - it was the warmth of the woman inside.

There was Mary Ann who would become my friend.

Today I drove to World Class Scrappers again and for what will be the last time.  As I pulled up a thousand memories assaulted me.  The times I taught within those walls, the women I have met, the warmth...always the warmth.

I will miss those days but I truly believe there are doors and windows and a million opportunities awaiting my friend.  I believe she created something special within the walls of that little home.  She made a place for us.  She made art.  She made warmth.  No matter the day it was warm with her willingness to share the laughter and joy of her own life. 

I love you Mare.

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

{nashville}

I haven't put up my pictures of my trip to Nashville.  This is in part because I came home with a nasty cold and 200+ pictures to go through. 

I had a wonderful trip.  It was perfect in every way!  Jessie and Morgan and the children could not have been more welcoming and warm.  I enjoyed spending every moment with them.  It was not too long and not too short.  I will always wish they were closer to us here in Idaho but they live in a lovely place and the trip is not too grueling to get to them.

I want to share some of the pictures of my first two days in Nashville!

 

For what may be the first time in my life I packed lightly for my trip to Nashville, suitcase, pocketbook, jacket and computer. 

I was on the shuttle at 5:30 in the morning and got to Jessie's home at almost 11:00 that night.  It was a long trip but totally worthwhile because waiting for me at the end of the day was my sweet daughter and my beautiful grandchildren.

Waking up to the giggles of the childrem was the sweetest alarm clock I have known.  They tried to be quiet as I slept in a bit on the sofa while they played but soon I could not sleep longer and got up to play with them.

Here are some pictures of Colin.  He is certainly beautiful.

 

 

 

 

We went to the park and the children played on the toys, climbed the trees and we strolled through the beautiful grounds of their library.  It was a perfect day.

 

 

 

Thank you Jessie and Morgan for having me.  Thank you children for your sweetness, your laughter, your many hugs and kisses!

love,

gramachele

{stunning}

Please if you have not yet seen this woman and heard her voice and felt her spirit please go to this link and embrace Susan Boyle.  I am overwhelmed by her talent, her humility and most of all her courage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

always,

m

{spring} snow

  

 

     

 

Just thought I would share pictures today of our beautiful tax day snow storm.  It is still snowing at noon with no end in sight.  It is beautiful although I would like to have some spring weather now.  It was fun to go out early and take these pictures of the everyday things that are so transformed when covered with snow.  The tulips have tightened their buds and the snow rested on their heads.

Such funny weather.

Tomorrow it will be sunny and bright and in a very few months I will be wanting the snow back again because it will be time for cool and crisp.

always,

m

{audrey}

It has not been a year since Tim married Audrey.  They are a wonderful couple.  I have grown to love her dearly but no more than when they were here a month ago and she spent some time scrapping with me.  This is something I have missed so much with Jessie gone.  While she was home or at least in Twin Falls we had some time together to scrap from time to time.  It was a time when we could talk and laugh and watch a movie if we wanted to or just be quiet together.  This day with Audrey was a rare treat.

She made her graduation announcements and I helped a little with cutting letters and shapes with the Cricut.  She did such a beautiful job I wanted to share the pictures I have taken of her process and her finished announcement.

  

 

 

We are so pleased to announce the graduation of Audrey Lynn Power Hamilton from Brigham Young University College of Health and Human Performance.

We love you dearest!

{create}

From time to time I hear my friends, daughters, and strangers say the words that tear my soul, "I'm not creative.  I could never do what you do."

How these words tear at me.  You are creative.  We are each creative.  The video a the top of this blog is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.  It is about the creative drive and talent inside everyone of us.  It is taken from a talk given at the LDS General Conference but it is not about religion, it is about us and our God given creative spirit!  Take a minute please to view this beautiful reminder of who we are and what we can do.

always,

michele

{blessed}

On the rare days that I begin to feel self indulgently sorry for my self I am reminded that blessings come in all shapes and sizes.  This week is one of those weeks of reminders.  Little blessings like a friend who pops in completely unexpectedly , a phone call from out of the blue, a new baby in the family with a healthy delivery and a family that loves him and more.  There is really always more isn't there.

It is like the air we breathe.  There is always enough.  I never give another thought as to whether or not there will be enough air to breathe in a day but I often worry that there will not be enough money to fill all our needs.  How odd.  I need the air much worse that the money.  If I ran out of air I would not last longer than a few minutes but I can get by for a longer period of time without money.  Not that I want that but it is just to illustrate how my priorities can be out of order.  I have enough air and I have enough money for today and tomorrow will take care of itself if I will have faith that like the air there will be enough - a way provided to have enough.

Blessings like air and money take a backseat to the greater blessings of friends and family.  When Trisha came in today so unexpectedly with her beautiful daughter and charming (I am not over reaching here - he is thoroughly charming) husband I felt blessed.  It was a joy.  When Price called everyday this week I felt blessed that he keeps us in his life and still finds time to call his mom.  When Tim calls in the minute or two between classes I feel blessed to know he is still my little boy.  And when Jessie called Friday, weary from just giving birth I realized how blessed I am to share these moments of greatness with her.

I am blessed.

Blessed with friends.

Blessed with sufficient for my needs

Blessed with family.

Blessed with love.

And because I have been so blessed I hope I in some small way bless the lives of those I love and cherish, those I may only touch once and those who don't even know my name.  Please allow me to be the blessing in another life.

Enjoy these pictures of our newest blessing, Collin Marcus Williams.  Born March 20th 2009 - the first day of spring following a long winter.  7 pounds 10 ounces. 20 inches in length.