When my second born went off to college, I took my first art class. She will be graduating in May. I find it hard to believe that nearly 4 years has passed. I am not a faithful painter. The easiest way for me to paint is to sign up for 4 to 6 week classes,…
In January 2006, I went to Mississippi as part of a work crew to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It was a big ask to take 7 days away from my young family to volunteer, but my husband and children were supportive. The opportunity presented itself through our church and it felt like…
The first stop on our Baltic Sea tour (in 2007) was Amsterdam. Though it was not tulip season, we quickly learned about the importance of the tulip in their history. During many palace tours, I would spot one gorgeous tulipiere after another. What is a tulipiere? A tulipiere or tulip-holder is an ornate vessel in which to grow…
I am officially embarrassed to say that this was the condition of the middle room of the basement. I cleaned it 18 months ago, but it’s an easy dumping spot for, well, just about everything. I know the intention was to “put it away later”, but things just kept accumulating. After taking donating three carloads…
Someone recently asked me where I put everything. The challenge with having a large property is to not fill it to the brim with stuff. I tend to organize by categories. Some people organize alphabetically or by color or project. But it’s easier for me to focus on the object~~looking for scissors? Go to the…