HAPPENS EVERY YEAR

I wait till the absolute last minute

 to take down my Fall decorations in my little home/studio,

and then I put off until about a week before Xmas to put up those decorations.

And now it's mid January and I still haven't taken them down yet.

I wonder if anybody out there has this problem as well?

Disassembling each little tree is so sad for me.

Sometimes it even makes me cry for all the memories each contain in the decorations.

For instance the 3 itsy bitsy embroidered pieces by Class of 08's Victoria An,

Fairydust,

Love & Faith make me weep there are so precious..

Another favorite art student,

designing children's clothes for Tommy Hilfiger now,

Class of 2009 Caroline Ma's fused glass house mounted on a handmade watercolor paper

addressed to Mama Agrums melts my heart.

Fiber Artist Judy Coates Perez's embroidered felt balls,

and Folk Artist Leslie McCabe's Russian Needle Punched dogs in tiny matchboxes;

all pieces I've taught with that are so dear to me.

A hand felted stocking I made with my very first pieces of my own felt,

and the delicate wool wrapped tree my daughter gave me this Xmas cuz she knows what I love,

and last years ornament she bought for me,

a recycled tin cut deer,

it all matters.

A gold glitter pinecone my son and I made when he was a young pup.

I just love it all.

The beautiful handwoven scarf Avanthi (2017)and Karisma Dev (2015)

 brought back to me from Africa,

gathers together all my favorite photos of my children,

their spouses/girlfriends and the grandbabies,

I just can't bring myself to put it away.

And of course Fiber Artist Jude Hill's Santa Cat that I adore

and love to teach with

(at the end of the season the Santa Cat gets changed out with another Jude Hill work)

makes me feel so grateful that I own these remarkable pieces of hers.

My how hard and patiently my dear mother worked when I was a bratty teenager on her fragile eggs that she cleaned out and decoupaged back in the 1970's (low left),

that I sadly didn't appreciate until she was gone.

My daughter's plastic coated ironed bead angel as well as her little paper cut purse 

with tiny glued down pieces of cut up eraser bits that I couldn't bare to throw away

(center bottom).

And now she's the brat who has no sentiment for any of this.

But I have no fear, 

she used to be the first to volunteer to help put out the decorations when she was younger.

I know I raised a deeper person then she is right now.

I keep hearing that 28 is the magic number 

when girls start being nice to their mommies again.

LOL 

I think it took me a little longer.

Above the highly embellished star 

that Class of 2009's's Ariel Improta (daughter to our beloved Drama teacher Jodi)

knew I would love, 

is hanging next to this year's 7th grader Valentina Arnold Villarreal's blue painted wood ornament

that she so sweetly dropped by even though she is no longer in my Art Wheel class.

My son's newborn picture 

as well as his kindergarten next to 8th grade pix that he made in Boy Scouts,

make me wish I could turn the clock back so I could enjoy his childhood one more time.

And all the tags that my children addressed to me over the years with their sweet handwriting

that I love to re-read every year.

And the gorgeous reindeer and tree made from recycled papers 

that my daughter gave me a couple years ago.

I just hate packing it all away.

But can you imagine the dust build up if I left all this out??

And I end with this Rug Hooked pillow top that my daughter drew the picture for 

when she was 5 1/2 of Mr. & Mrs. Claus,

thanking them for all the presents they bring her.

It was such a remarkable drawing for such a young one that I wanted a way to preserve it.

I thought I would do all the Rug Hooking myself but gave up after I got Mrs. Claus' face done.

I located a nearby Rug Hooker who finished the rest for me so I'd have it in time for Xmas.

Let's see, that was in 2000 I believe.

Such wonderful, dear memories.

DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING WALK

GIVING THANKS

Fall 1994

This Thanksgiving Season I have much to be thankful for,

and I'm so very grateful for all the blessings in my life.

But the thing I am the most grateful and thankful for are my two healthy babies,

Zach and Danielle.

Halloween 2017

The two of them bring so much love & laughter into my life.

They are fearless, smart, funny and best friends.

They don't always see eye to eye,

but they love each other fiercely.

The most beautiful bond that can never be broken.

And they love to play!

Best Friend's Live Action Role Playing Birthday 2016

 before he donated his hair to Locks of Love

And I can't finish this post without giving thanks to the two women who raised me, 

and were responsible for my children's daycare while my husband and I taught school,

my dear mother Rose Patricia and my vivacious, strong willed Aunt Elena

(my father died when I was a baby, so my Aunt stepped in and helped raise me).

They were my rock,

and my children's rock. 

This is one of the last pictures of my mother before she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's,

and Aunt Elena was diagnosed with Dementia.

They both lived for 10 more years after this picture was taken.

They passed away side by side in the same bedroom within 3 months of each other,

without realizing they were sisters.

But I'm so very grateful that we had them as long as we did.

My mother was 92 when she left and Aunt Elena was 88.

My son especially has so many strong & wonderful memories of the both of them.

They instilled in him his love of all things in nature as both of them were avid gardeners.

Therefore his degree in Plant Science.

My mother & Aunt also instilled in the both of them their tender hearts,

their sense of right and wrong & their curious minds.

And Aunt Elena gave Dani her fiestyness and stubbornness  ha ha

Mother's Day 2017

Long Beach Marina

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and Holiday Season.

Let's all hold hands around the Thanksgiving table and pray for our families and friends 

as well as peace in our country 

and around the world.