MERRY MONDAYS!!

Through the summer months we continued to have Merry Mondays as often as there were kids to show up.

This is one of our messier, longer projects.

Paper mache pinatas!

We started with the blow up punch balloons...thank you jason and brianna for helping me blow them all up--16 in all!!  phew!!  Then started adding strips of newspaper to make and outer shell.

While those were drying we came inside out of the wind for lunch.  A few girls were not speaking, so crowding everyone together and making them pass things and use their manners, it was quickly resolved!!

Then it was cutting strips, cutting them and gluing to

the pinata shell!

                                           Lots of color and back outside after lunch!

                             Some of the finished results!!!!  On a recent 'pinata check' most of the kids still have them hanging in their rooms.  One of the boys saved his until his august birthday, filled it with candy and then invited nakiah and tovi joi and brianna and jason over for the big 'bash'.

several sported big sunglasses and happy face smiles!!

Lots of personality!!  This took a few weeks of gatherings to finish up but was well worth the fun and the smiles on the participants!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OPA!!!

Opa (John)  celebrated a major milestone recently when some of us were able to vacation together on the

Oregon coast.                                                                                                                                       

Here granddaughters, 6 yr old Sydne and 2 yr old Lauryn, decorated opa's cake.

M and M's   colorful and fun!

Sorry about the pink frostening honey but the girls  LOVED IT

yummmmy  supposed to melt in your mouth.............................not in your hands!!!

Oma I HAD TO EAT SOME!!

such a pretty cake  decorated with much joy and love

I'll help you blow them out Opa!!

SEASON ENDING GLORY

I want to say HELLLLOOOOO to everyone who has wondered where I have been and welcome you all back.

The last 8 months have been full of LIVING LIFE !!

We have mourned losses, gone through financial setbacks, welcomed new life, and most of all have CELEBRATED friends and family.

I have missed everyone and have missed being in the blogging world staying up to date with family, friends and fellow artists/moms/women in general.

We are winding down from an Indian Summer and know that Old man winter is just around the corner.....and if not him, then his little 'jack frosts' waiting to paint the gardens/lawns with their frosty confections.
I LOVE hummingbirds. These two were spotted at one of our feeders a few days ago. Am sure now that freezing temps are in the forecast they are no longer close by.

We planted gourds this past summer and they are just NOW producing. Not to self:

plant much earlier next spring!

Last bloomings of my 'brown eyed susan's or 'rubedeckia'
my 'fourth of july rose ...blooms in late june/early july and again in the fall.
my perennial favorite: bachelor buttons
we tried this new corn: sweet red corn and it PRODUCED!!! Hooray! Sweet and pretty!
Our childhood home was sold this summer and this planter is the shovel blade from a big back

hoe.....my dad drug it home and made a planter out of it. We brought it to our home and I can think of Dad and special memories growing up whenever I see it.

corn stalks all in a row.
sunflowers


I still have my girls and boys come from the neighborhood. We met most of the summer then I had to take some time off. Each one planted sunflowers around their garden spots.

Our kids brianna and jason and tovi and nakiah grew plenty of produce as well. They had to relocate to alaska for jobs!!!!!! I am sorry you aren't here to enjoy the bounty from your endeavors!!! We love you!!