CLOTH LOVE
As we celebrated Raggedy Ann & Andy Day, I found their humility made the occasion feel auspicious. Of course, it compelled me to write this ode to this cloth duo of love.
FATHERS DAY CARDS
I saw some cute ideas for Father’s Day cards so I thought I’d make one. I did three verrsions for dad, step dad, and grandfather. Then I sent them off to the grandkids for their consideration. I like fun little mindless projects to cleanse my brain’s palate. Fun!
FATHERS DAY CARDS
I saw some cute ideas for Father’s Day cards so I thought I’d make one. I did three verrsions for dad, step dad, and grandfather. Then I sent them off to the grandkids for their consideration. I like fun little mindless projects to cleanse my brain’s palate. Fun!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MAGGIE & DAN
My precious daughter and her equally precious husband celebrated the victories and challenges of a marriage that has endured and brought deep joy and meaning - not to mention three beautiful children - to their family life together. As parents, two of our greatest wishes for our daughters is that they would have a great love and a loving family. Granted!
PRESLEY FINDS HER NICHE
Presley and I had a business meerting at Panera. She was able to complete her first assignment in my Start-up Accelerator. She listed her passions, described the market for each, and found three potential business ideas in here three favorite niches for a total of nine potential money-makers, although there is potential to combine them. She honed in on two niches: a service business helping people organize, and a product centered business catering to people with curly hair. We had some lively discussions as we ventured into Step 2: Define Your Target Customer. After we met, I did some research to identify the regulatory requirements for the hair care products she would like to make. Her good work earrned a trip through the Starbuck’s drive-through on the way home.
ETHNIC NIGHT: GERMAN
I try to cook at least one ethnic dinner a month for Keith and I to enjoy. They’re seldom fantastic, but made special by the fuss around them. Service in the dining room is always best. Then picking dinner music with ethnic root is always important. Finding some treasure with a matching ethnicity to add to the centerpiece. And, of course, the dinner plates! Thanks to rummage sales and thrift stores, I have two dozen sets of two: French, Indian, Italian, Japanese, etc. And I can always use plainer china and let the linens do the work. Then a little ethnic-ish dessert and dancing. It all makes the mediocre quality of my cooking a little more forgivable.
ETHNIC NIGHT: GERMAN
I try to cook at least one ethnic dinner a month for Keith and I to enjoy. They’re seldom fantastic, but made special by the fuss around them. Service in the dining room is always best. Then picking dinner music with ethnic root is always important. Finding some treasure with a matching ethnicity to add to the centerpiece. And, of course, the dinner plates! Thanks to rummage sales and thrift stores, I have two dozen sets of two: French, Indian, Italian, Japanese, etc. And I can always use plainer china and let the linens do the work. Then a little ethnic-ish dessert and dancing. It all makes the mediocre quality of my cooking a little more forgivable.
100 PHOTO ASSIGNMENTS
I started working on a Photography for Kids website over a year ago. My goal is to finish it by the end of June. It’s probably 80% done. The biggest project is to get some actual photos taken by kids (target: middle school to high school). So I defined 100 photo assignments (10 assignments in each of 10 categories). I solicited my first photographer (Presley). She will snap one set (10 pictures). Hopefully, she’s not too expensive. Pres plans on using Lilly for her model.
100 PHOTO ASSIGNMENTS
I started working on a Photography for Kids website over a year ago. My goal is to finish it by the end of June. It’s probably 80% done. The biggest project is to get some actual photos taken by kids (target: middle school to high school). So I defined 100 photo assignments (10 assignments in each of 10 categories). I solicited my first photographer (Presley). She will snap one set (10 pictures). Hopefully, she’s not too expensive. Pres plans on using Lilly for her model.
PRESLEY FINDS HER NICHE
Presley and I had a business meerting at Panera. She was able to complete her first assignment in my Start-up Accelerator. She listed her passions, described the market for each, and found three potential business ideas in here three favorite niches for a total of nine potential money-makers, although there is potential to combine them. She honed in on two niches: a service business helping people organize, and a product centered business catering to people with curly hair. We had some lively discussions as we ventured into Step 2: Define Your Target Customer. After we met, I did some research to identify the regulatory requirements for the hair care products she would like to make. Her good work earrned a trip through the Starbuck’s drive-through on the way home.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MAGGIE AND DAN
My precious daughter and her equally precious husband celebrated the victories and challenges of a marriage that has endured and brought deep joy and meaning - not to mention three beautiful children - to their family life together. As parents, two of our greatest wishes for our daughters is that they would have a great love and a loving family. Granted!
MAMA•MOLLIE•MONDAY
A lovely time with Mollie enjoying the delicious and healthy food at one of Fond du Lac’s little treasures. It was a frantic day for Mollie. Tomorrow is the first showing of her house which is now up for sale. Needless to say, getting the home and property ready for primetime was her focus - but she still managed to fit me in. One of my biggest take-aways from the isolation of the covid pandemic is the exquisite joy of face-to-face time, especially with the people I love.
DRIVEWAY TOPPER
It’s an all day job about every three years. The asphalt driveway is over 40 years old. There’s no patches, just cracks that Keith has filled with sand and tar being sure not to leave a mess on top. I know no other human who would take the time to undertake this delicate task. It’s nice wabi-sabi and we don’t have ugly tar patch dribbles. As we say: Use it up. Wear it out. Make it over. Or do without. Love it!
MAMA•MOLLIE•MONDAY
A lovely time with Mollie enjoying the delicious and healthy food at one of Fond du Lac’s little treasures. It was a frantic day for Mollie. Tomorrow is the first showing of her house which is now up for sale. Needless to say, getting the home and property ready for primetime was her focus - but she still managed to fit me in. One of my biggest take-aways from the isolation of the covid pandemic is the exquisite joy of face-to-face time, especially with the people I love.
DRIVEWAY TOPPER
It’s an all day job about every three years. The asphalt driveway is over 40 years old. There’s no patches, just cracks that Keith has filled with sand and tar being sure not to leave a mess on top. I know no other human who would take the time to undertake this delicate task. It’s nice wabi-sabi and we don’t have ugly tar patch dribbles. As we say: Use it up. Wear it out. Make it over. Or do without. Love it!
WORSHIPPING HOLY BOULDERS
We headed up to Omro bright and early to bring home a gift of six holy boulders from my brother Jim. Keith loves all stones but holy boulders rank at the top. Jim helped Keith load them into the back of our Toyota Rav4 being careful to stay below the recommended max. load weight. Keith were on our own now! It took us until 4:00 pm to get them out of our car and moved into place in an old-time homestead style rock pile around our new little tree. Keith plans to expand the circle as the tree goes My thought is to have a beautiful tree with a circle of make-shift boulder stools. That’s why I have started calling it The Story Tree.
WORSHIPPING HOLY BOULDERS
We headed up to Omro bright and early to bring home a gift of six holy boulders from my brother Jim. Keith loves all stones but holy boulders rank at the top. Jim helped Keith load them into the back of our Toyota Rav4 being careful to stay below the recommended max. load weight. Keith were on our own now! It took us until 4:00 pm to get them out of our car and moved into place in an old-time homestead style rock pile around our new little tree. Keith plans to expand the circle as the tree goes My thought is to have a beautiful tree with a circle of make-shift boulder stools. That’s why I have started calling it The Story Tree.
CHIPMUNK WARS
Winning a war is more difficult when you are committed to capturing all your foe alive. Keith has been checking his chipmunk traps throughout the day because he doesn’t want them to suffer. So far he has captured two and relocated them to a local cemetery blessed with an abundance of oak trees, therefore acorns. The game is to get them all into this new site before another crop of babies arrive. Last time he had an infestation, the end count of chipmunks moved to “Acorn Paradise” was 32 critters. If that is any indication, he has a long way to go.
BEST GRADUATION PARTY EVER
My nephew Lucas has the best heart. He exudes character and lives a noble life. He is worthy of an epic graduation and his mom gave him just that! Erica put on an amazing celebration and despite scores and scores of friends in attendance, Lucas managed to find time to give his full attention and love to the sprinkling of old uncles, aunts, and grandparents. I hope there is a heaven, just so he can go there.
HELL GUARD
On our chipmunk drop-off at Rienzi cemetery, we discoverd the Gate to Hell. And look at this spooky tree creature that guards it. Photographer: Keith